


Commitment Issues

by missingnolovefic



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, Fake AH Crew, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Funny, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Misunderstandings, but the angst is really minor, commitment issues, jeremy pov, short implicit sex scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-19
Updated: 2016-06-19
Packaged: 2018-07-15 22:56:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7242172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/missingnolovefic/pseuds/missingnolovefic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Giveaway fic for <a href="http://achievemen-thunter.tumblr.com">achievemen-thunter</a>: "I was thinking FAHC Jerevin and failed marriage proposals"</p><p>Try, try, try to separate them - It's an illusion<br/>Try, try, try, and you will only come to this conclusion<br/>Love and marriage, love and marriage<br/>They go together like a horse and carriage (by Frank Sinatra)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Interrupted Proposals

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CrayolaRainbow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrayolaRainbow/gifts).



> I was really excited to write this :D though some angst creeped in amongst the silly fluff and fun, sorry about that (not sorry)
> 
> Frank Sinatra's "Love and Marriage" is the most beautiful song to learn how to dance Slow Fox to, _and it was stuck in my head while writing this_.

“Jeremy, look!”

Gavin dragged the shorter man across the street, stopping in front of a high-end jewelry shop. He pointed excitedly towards a thick gold necklace in the ostentatious style Gavin tended to dress in. Even now he was wearing several gold rings and a large, gilded clock. The frames of his sunglasses were golden, too.

No one could look at Gavin and mistake him for anyone else, he was obviously the Fake’s Golden Boy.

“Don’t you already have one of those?” Jeremy asked, bemused. Gavin gave him a mock shocked look, letting his glasses slip down his nose to eye Jeremy skeptically over the frames.

“No, little J. These are obviously McQueens. I only have Guccis and Ferragamos. Keep up, Jeremy,” Gavin explained impatiently, waving his free hand about. Jeremy caught it in his and kissed his knuckles. Sunlight reflected from the gold on his fingers.

“And you can never have enough?” Jeremy asked, lips twitching.

“And you can never have enough,” Gavin repeated wisely, nodding his head mock seriously. Jeremy threw his head back and laughed, hat nearly tipping off his head. Gavin shot him a sour look.

“Are you laughing at me, little J?” he squawked in outrage, shifting away from the other man, who still held onto both his hands. “So cold, Jeremy, so mean.”

The blond pouted exaggeratedly, tugging out of Jeremy’s loose grip. Jeremy captured one of his hands before he could cross his arms, though, squeezing it reassuringly.

“Let’s go inside then, and you can pick what to take home,” Jeremy decided, gently tugging Gavin forward. The Brit dropped the pout immediately, grinning brightly down at the shorter man.

“As many as I want?” he asked excitedly, already dragging the other man to the door. Jeremy chuckled.

“As many as you want,” he agreed, smiling fondly up at the other man. “Only the best for our imported twink.”

Gavin snorted, thumb stroking over the back of Jeremy’s hand.

“You love me,” he declared with certainty, pushing open the door. The bell jingled as they stepped in.

“For some reason,” Jeremy teased right back, letting himself be dragged up to the exhibit counter. “I’m sure I’ll figure out why one day.”

Gavin laughed, beckoning the store attendant over pompously. The clerk had been watching them sharply as they entered. Now her eyes lingered on the rings and the one earring Gavin wore. She smiled in welcome, hurrying over to them.

“Welcome to Silver Lining, how may I help you, gentlemen?”

Gavin gave his hand one last squeeze before pulling away to lean with both arms on the counter. He put on his brilliant smile, the one he used to blind his marks.

“I couldn’t help but notice those beautiful necklaces in the window display. Alexander McQueen, innit?” he inquired, a flirtatious note to his voice.

The girl’s eyes lit up and she nodded eagerly. “Oh yes, the new spring collection just got delivered. Amazing work, definitely a trendsetter. If you’ll excuse me for a second, I can bring some up for you?”

“That’d be grand, thanks, luv.” Gavin grinned cheekily, and Jeremy gave him a long look, a smile playing over his lips. The clerk hustled back with the entire display case and several other pieces of jewelry.

Jeremy shook his head and tuned them out as Gavin talked shop, wrapping the poor girl around his little finger. Instead he drifted over to the other glass cases, perusing the wares. Another clerk watched him sharply, but he preemptively waved her off. Jewelry didn’t interest him much - he’d gotten his ear pierced when he was younger, but didn’t often wear it. He could just as easily borrow something from Gavin’s vast collection.

A glint caught his eye, a small diamond set into a braided gold band. His heart started beating faster, a thought he’d been toying with returning with vehemence. It was simple compared to what Gavin usually wore, and definitely girlier, but…

It was perfect.

Quickly checking that Gavin kept busy inspecting his potential purchases, Jeremy beckoned the other clerk over. It was now or never, he thought. Putting a finger over his lips to signal for silence, he pointed at the ring.

“Do you have that in a size 11?”

The clerk opened the glass case and took out the number tag. Jeremy checked furtively if Gavin noticed anything, but the blond was busy charming the poor girl, judging by her red cheeks and wide eyes. The other clerk punched the number into the touchscreen, scrolling and clicking around with a frown. Finally she turned back to him with a strained smile.

“I’m afraid we’re out of stock at the moment, but we could have one delivered within two weeks,” she explained carefully. Jeremy nodded thoughtfully, biting his lip.

“Do that,” he decided, and left his name and a burner number with her. He circled through the rest of the store, before he returned to Gavin’s side. Just in time, too, as they seemed to be wrapping up. The girl was wringing her hands while Gavin tapped his lips.

“What do you think, J?” he asked distractedly, pointing at three necklaces laid out in the center of the counter.

Jeremy wrapped an arm around Gavin’s waist, pressing into his side. One of Gavin’s hands slipped idly into his back pocket. Humming, Jeremy leaned forward, eyeing the displayed necklaces carefully, while the clerk fidgeted. Finally, he turned to look at Gavin.

“They all look the same to me,” he offered in a deadpan voice. The clerk twitched violently, but Gavin just laughed and squeezed his butt.

“I’ll take all three,” he announced happily, and the clerk gave a small sigh of relief. While Gavin exchanged pleasantries and paid for the jewelry, Jeremy kept glancing back to the ring display.

Thus it took him until they’d rounded the block, chatting idly, to realize that his wallet was missing.

Frantically, he patted his back pockets and then his front, only to look up at his cackling boyfriend. The blond was throwing his wallet up in the air and catching it, giving Jeremy a wicked smirk.

“You fucker, when did you-” Jeremy sputtered as realization dawned. Back in the store, when he’d paid for his new jewelry...

“Jeremy, I’m like your kept man, Jeremy,” Gavin squeaked, pouting exaggeratedly. “You’re supposed to keep me in luxury!”

“You have more money than I do!” Jeremy protested, making a grab for his wallet. Gavin dodged, giggling breathlessly. Then he took off down the street, waving his prize high in the air. Jeremy stared, before he kicked off in hot pursuit.

“The fuck, Gav, gimme back my money!”

The Golden Boy only laughed harder.

 

* * *

 

Gavin had been fussing over his outfit in the bathroom for almost an hour, while Jeremy sat outside, idly playing Candy Crush. They were supposed to meet up with a new arms dealer and hammer out a contract, if they were any good. His boyfriend was putting in extra effort to appear smarmy.

When Gavin finally left the bathroom, he whirled around and presented himself with an over the top pose and a shit-eating grin. Jeremy looked up from his phone, raising an eyebrow.

“How do I look, little J?”

Jeremy mustered him for a long moment, then nodded decisively.

“Like a grade A douchebag,” he proclaimed solemnly. Gavin stuck out his lower lip, and Jeremy laughed, standing up on his toes to kiss the pout away. “You’re fine, Gavvy. You could wear rags and make them look good.”

“Eh, you’re biased,” Gavin waved off the compliment, catching Jeremy by the lapels and reeling him back in. The kiss was hard and short, full of teeth and fingers clenched into each other’s clothes. Jeremy felt his heart speed up.

The ring box was digging into his skin.

They broke apart, and Gavin was smiling at him fondly. Jeremy grinned back dopily, one hand dropping to his jeans pocket. He fingered along the outline, considering. Gavin’s knuckles grazed over his cheek, and he looked up to see his face soften. His heart skipped a beat.

Maybe… Maybe now was the right time?

Jeremy leaned up and brushed their noses together, his fingers dipping into his own pocket. He silently cursed himself for wearing such tight jeans today, as he dug deeper for the ring box, ready to drop on his knee-

The sound of the door slamming shut had both of them whirling around and reaching for the nearest guns.

“‘Sup bitches!” a familiar voice crowed, and Jeremy relaxed, dropping the gun back on the table. “Guess who’s back!”

“X-Ray!” Gavin shouted, eyes lighting up in excitement. He leaped over the couch and jumped the other lad, legs clamping down around his waist. “You’re back!”

“I just said that, idiot,” Ray snarked good-naturedly, dropping his sniper case to the floor. His arms came up around Gavin and he grinned at Jeremy over the other’s shoulder. “Hey, little J.”

“Hey, Ray,” Jeremy smiled back, hand patting his pocket once more. Another time, then. They were in no hurry, after all. “How was the job?”

“Boring,” Ray said, nudging at the other lad. “You done playing octopus any time soon, Vav?”

“Nuh uh,” he mumbled into Ray’s shoulder, shaking his head. Jeremy laughed.

“C’mon, Gav, we’re gonna be late for the meet-up.” He tugged his boyfriend carefully out of the other lad’s arms. “We’ll have more than enough time to shoot the shit later.”

 

* * *

 

Except then, of course, they didn’t.

It turned out the new arms dealer had a deal with Gunhaus, and Geoff got that blank look on his face. There were more and more reports of Gunhaus getting a hold of contacts within Los Santos, within _their_ city. Ever since they’d offed the Corpirate, they’d been the biggest fish in town, the smaller gangs trying to stay under their radar or on their good side.

And now, they were challenged.

It was a long month, and they ran themselves ragged. There was no time for much of anything else but to collapse into bed, and sometimes they managed that at the same time, cuddling through the night. The ring box got stuffed into his nightstand drawer, and for a while he just forgot about it. They were on the edge of an all-out gang war.

There was no opportunity to propose now.

It took the Cockbites to intervene for things to settle down. Geoff’s old gang, more or less ruling over all of San Andreas at this point, managed a shaky truce between the two warring gangs that eventually turned into a solid alliance. Gunhaus became part of the Cockbite network, renamed themselves FakeHaus and went off to Las Venturas, a neighbouring city where Burnie had problems with the current management.

When they finally had some time together, after the important things were dealt with, they fell into bed, an exhausted pile of limbs still half-clothed.

 

* * *

 

It didn’t go any better after that. Like an ill omen, the gang war set the precedent for any future attempts. Jeremy had taken to carrying the ring box everywhere with him, even fancied a Pirate of the Caribbeans, in the middle of a shoot-out style proposal. In his frustration, he honestly considered just shouting the question into their comms.

But no, he wanted to do this right. And he couldn’t do it in front of the others - he didn’t want to pressure Gavin into saying yes.

So he took him out for dinner, and on long walks at the pier. He tried to muster his courage, to find the right words. He practiced in his apartment, alone, in front of the mirror. Grand declarations of never-ending love and promises of forever.

They sat on the edge of the pier, legs dangling and bumping into each other. Gavin snuggled into his side, Jeremy’s arm thrown across his shoulders as they watched the sunset, waves turning first orange, then purple.

The moment was perfect. Jeremy opened his mouth, running through the speech in his head. It should roll off his tongue easily, he could recite it in his sleep.

Instead he choked, words stuck in his throat. He coughed, and Gavin turned to him with a worried frown, slipping out of his jacket. He draped it over Jeremy’s shoulders with a concerned coo.

 _Coward_ , Jeremy thought as he huddled into the warmth.

 

* * *

 

Gavin was sitting on the couch in Geoff’s penthouse, fiddling with his phone when Jeremy approached. This time he came prepared, a bouquet of red roses purchased from a street vendor. He caught the blond’s gaze and smiled nervously, kneeling down in front of him. Gavin started, eyes flickering to the roses resting next to him on the couch and back to Jeremy, clad in more formal clothes than his usual wear.

An unreadable expression flit over his face, before it turned into his showman grin.

“What’s this?” he asked teasingly, something tight around his eyes. Jeremy paused, heart beating nervously. “Does our little J have a hot date?”

“I always do,” Jeremy laughed, squeezing Gavin’s knee. The blond tapped something into his phone before returning his attention to the other man. “Can we talk for a minute?”

“That sounds serious,” Gavin joked, but his laugh fell flat. Jeremy was too distracted to really notice, fussing with the flowers.

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you,” he started, gaze focussed on rearranging the red petals. His eyes flickered at movement in the corners of his eyes, Gavin’s long fingers tapping something into his phone.

“Yeah?” Gavin asked distractedly, putting down his phone with twitchy fingers.

“Yeah,” Jeremy smiled dopily, grabbing the roses and clutching the bouquet to his chest. “I’ve been trying to find the right way to put it, but I guess it’s not that easy-”

“Uh huh,” Gavin mumbled, eyes darting to the doorway.

“Sorry, I’m messing this up.” Jeremy paused, taking a deep breath. “Gavin, I-”

“WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU, BOI?” Michael shouted, the sound causing Jeremy to flinch. Gavin jumped, and the flowers clattered to the floor.

“Over here, Micool,” he called back, dragging his fingers through his hair.

Jeremy cursed under his breath, but shook his head at Gavin’s curious look, waving him off. Michael appeared in the doorway, hands on his hips and scowl on his face.

“What the fuck are you still doing here, we were supposed to meet up for the Golf thing half an hour ago,” Michael scolded, his eyes taking in the scene. He raised an eyebrow pointedly. “Am I interrupting something?”

“No, it’s fine,” Gavin reassured him quickly, jumping off the couch. He shot Jeremy an apologetic look. “Sorry, luv, I really need to go.”

“That’s okay,” Jeremy said quickly, clambering up to his feet with a blush. “Really, it can wait. It’s not _that_ important.”

“If you’re sure,” Gavin replied uncertainly, hovering between him and Michael guiltily. Jeremy smiled and leaned in to give him a quick peck on the lips.

“I’m sure. Go give ‘em hell.”

 

* * *

 

Jeremy tapped the steering wheel impatiently, grinding his teeth. Gavin shot him a look over the top of his glasses, thumbs flying over his smartphone. Jeremy took a deep breath and his fingers clenched around the wheel. Finally, Gavin dropped his phone and half-turned to face him.

“Are you alright, little J?”

“I’m fine,” he grit out between his teeth. Gavin quirked an eyebrow.

“Somehow I doubt that,” the blond drawled, fingers of one hand drilling a nervous staccato into the dashboard.

“I’m _fine,_ okay?” Jeremy snarled, nearly ripping the steering wheel off as he took a hard left. Gavin reached over and placed a hand on his knee. When Jeremy glanced at him, the blond was chewing his lower lip in worry.

“Hey,” Gavin cleared his throat. “Talk to me, babe.”

Jeremy’s expression softened, and he let out a deep sigh, shoulders slumping.

“It’s just been a rough week, yeah?” Jeremy said, fumbling for an explanation. He was frustrated at his third attempt to propose this week had been interrupted, this time by a couple of tourists asking them to take their picture.

Gavin hummed in agreement, his eyes flickering to the side.

“Let’s go get a cat,” the blond decided, and the car swerved as he grabbed for the wheel. Jeremy sputtered, shocked out of his glum mood. He straightened the car out before shooting his boyfriend an incredulous look.

“W-what?” Jeremy stuttered, caught off-guard.

“Let’s go get a cat,” Gavin repeated cheerfully, grabbing for the wheel again. Jeremy swatted his hands away, easing off the gas. The car behind them honked shrilly, before the driver overtook them impatiently. “C’mon, Jeremy, turn around, the shelter’s the other way.”

“The fuck,” Jeremy growled, pulling over. He turned off the car, swivelling around to face his boyfriend. “What the hell?”

“Cats, Jeremy,” Gavin said gleefully, hands flying through the air in emphasis. “A cuddly, fat cat. We need a good name though, before Ryan hears of it, or it’ll end up Edgar Three Point Two.”

Jeremy snorted, a grin stealing over his lips. “Fucking Edgar.”

“Exactly!” Gavin beamed, and his good mood was infectious. Jeremy smiled back dopily.

“Sure, why the hell not,” he agreed, as he threw the car in gear and turned them around, tires squealing and the other cars honking in alarm. “Let’s get a fucking cat.”  


* * *

 

“God, Gav,” Jeremy panted, burying his face into the blond’s neck. Gavin moaned, nails digging into Jeremy shoulders. He bucked up, and Jeremy groaned helplessly. “Fuck.”

“That’s- ah, that’s what we’re g-going for, yeah?” Gavin gasped wetly, throwing his head back and arching up into Jeremy’s touch.

“Yeah, asshole,” Jeremy grunted, doubling down on his efforts. He closed his eyes and gasped breathlessly. “Feels god, Christ, you’re so fucking good.”

Gavin hummed, capturing his lips in a searing kiss. “The best,” he declared, panting wetly against his mouth.

“The best,” Jeremy agreed, pressing close to the other, “God, Gav, fucking marry me.”

Gavin grunted, bearing down on him and Jeremy lost all coherency.

 

* * *

 

“We need to talk,” Jeremy said, nervously fiddling with the box behind his back. Gavin dropped the grocery bags onto the counter, busying himself with putting things away.

“Do we have to?” he asked evasively, sticking his head into the fridge. Jeremy frowned, looking down at his feet.

“Is now a bad time?” he ventured carefully, turning the box around in his sweaty palms.

“Actually, you know what? Yes,” Gavin snapped, closing the door of the fridge with a bang. “I’d really rather not right now.”

Disappointed, Jeremy slipped the ring back into his back pocket. He looked up at his boyfriend with a frown, the blond staring at the kitchen tiles. He looked lost.

“Gavin?” Jeremy stepped up behind him, wrapping his arms around his waist. “Is everything alright?”

“I just-” Gavin closed his eyes and leaned into him with a drawn-out sigh. “I’m just tired. Can we just- just cuddle on the couch? I’d like to not think for a while.”

“Of course,” Jeremy rushed to reassure him, pressing a kiss to his nape. “I’ll put on Walking Dead and we can just relax. Sound good?”

“Yeah,” Gavin breathed, and his voice sounded strangled. He must really be exhausted, Jeremy thought with a worried frown, as he went into the living room to prep for a quiet night in.

The proposal could wait, he had a boyfriend to take care of first.

 

* * *

 

Jeremy let his head drop onto his arms with a groan. Matt patted his shoulder in faux sympathy, grin stretching across his face. Jeremy swatted his hand away blindly, and Matt laughed, sipping his cocktail through the straw. Jack shot them both a quizzical look.

“What’s up, little J?” the older man asked kindly, settling across from them at Geoff’s built-in bar, but Jeremy only grumbled unintelligibly. Their boss plopped down next to Jack, offering him a beer.

“Loverboy is moping,” Matt crowed gleefully. He twirled his chair in a full turn, nearly sloshing himself with his cocktail.

“Am not,” Jeremy growled against the table. Matt pointedly waggled his eyebrows at the Gents.

“See?” He took another swig of his drink, then pointed at Jeremy with the dripping straw. “ _Someone_ \- and I’m not naming names here - someone is having trouble asking a perfectly simple question.”

Jeremy’s head shot up to glare at his friend.

“It’s not that easy, you idiot!”

“Dude, chill, it’s like three words,” Matt waved him off, and Jeremy’s glower darkened. Jack blinked in confusion.

“Uh, shouldn’t those be a statement instead of, you know, a question?” he asked carefully. Geoff snorted into his beer.

“What a bunch of losers.”

“Not those three words!” Jeremy protested, blushing. He turned back to Matt. “And it’s more than three, asshole!”

“Oh, but it could be, if you weren’t such a pussy,” Matt teased, gesturing wildly with his straw. “Here let me demonstrate: Wanna get hitched?”

Geoff did a spittake, and Jeremy threw a balled up napkin at Matt’s head. Jack frowned thoughtfully, before nodding.

“That’s indeed three words,” the man declared, grinning as Jeremy’s glare was turned on him.

“None of you assholes has a single romantic bone between all of you combined,” Jeremy lamented, head dropping back down.

“Hey!” Geoff objected reflexively, then paused to think before suggesting, “Have you tried a candlelight dinner?”

Jeremy moaned into the table pitifully. Jack blinked and turned to Matt quizzically.

“What happened?”

“They got shot at,” Matt explained, finally setting his drink back down. “Remember last month, the thing on the Eastside?”

Jack nodded solemnly, while Geoff stared at Jeremy wide-eyed.

“Jesus, kid how long has this been going on?”

“Two months, three weeks,” Jeremy confessed to the table, voice muffled against his sleeve. Geoff stared at him blankly for a moment longer, before lifting his beer and emptying the bottle in a couple long swigs.

“Christ, I’m too sober for this shit,” he declared, getting up and pulling a whiskey glass out of the cupboard. “Jack, you deal with this.”

The ginger sighed, rubbing his temples.

“Jeremy,” he started, then shook his head. “Just ask him. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Jeremy looked up from the table to stare at the other man in disbelief.

“Uh, he could say no? He could break up with me? He could run back to England because you know how much Gavin hates awkward. He always drops contact, he never deals well with an ex, and then you’ll have to fire me so he can come ba-hrmpfgh.”

Matt slapped his hand over his mouth, frowning. “Dude, you’re rambling.”

“And we wouldn’t fire you,” Geoff chipped in, throwing back two fingers of whiskey before refilling his glass.

“More importantly, he won’t leave for England,” Jack pointed out calmly. “At worst he’ll spend a week barhopping with Michael and starting fights until he gets his head on straight and says _yes_.”

“Uh, have you met Gavin?” Jeremy asked, voice a higher pitch than normal. “Guy’s got commitment issues miles long. Maybe this was a bad idea, maybe I shouldn’t-”

“Jeremy,” Jack interrupted his panicked rambling firmly, “how long have you two been together?”

“Two years, five months,” the other man rattled off instantly. Matt snorted, saluting him with his cocktail.

“Officially. And you’ve been not-dating, dancing around each other for _months_ before that,” Jack continued, reaching out and squeezing Jeremy’s hand reassuringly. “He’s already committed to this.”

Jeremy shook his head, frowning. “But-”

“For fuck’s sake, kid,” Geoff snapped, his whiskey glass landing heavily on the table. “You have a fucking key to his fucking apartment, what more proof do you need?”

Jeremy gave him a befuddled look.

“What does that have to do with anything?” he asked urgently, brows furrowed. The way the boss said it, there must be some meaning behind it he was missing. He frowned, trying to figure it out, but his mind was drawing a blank.

“Christ,” Jack muttered, sipping his beer as he watched the other man. “You really don’t know?”

“Dude,” Matt said, blinking at his friend in astonishment. “Even I know that’s a huge fucking deal.”

“What? Why?” Jeremy looked from one to the other, expression uncertain.

“Listen, kid,” Geoff sighed, dragging his fingers through his hair. He set his glass down and pinned Jeremy with a serious look, eyes hooded. “You’re the only one with a key to that door. Not Jack, not Ray, not Ryan. Not even Michael and you know how fucking close those two are.”

“Yeah,” Jeremy agreed dazedly. “Wait- you don’t…?”

“No, even I don’t have a fucking key,” Geoff grunted, raising his glass back up. “Gavin doesn’t have one to my private apartment, either.”

“We’re criminals, Jeremy,” Jack rumbled soothingly, patting the younger man’s hand. “We don’t trust easily, and a key to our inner sanctum is a big sign.”

“We’re at each other’s places all the time,” Jeremy pointed out, but Jack shook his head.

“You mean, we _break into_ each other’s places all the time,” Matt corrected him, digging his elbow into his friend’s side. “ _I_ don’t have a key to your place, either, dude.”

“Because you break in all the time!” Jeremy protested, and the others gave him pointed looks. Jeremy stopped to think for a second before he deflated. “Alright, fine, I see your point.”

He stared down at the countertop, finger stirring through the condensation there. The others gave him some space to gather his thoughts, sipping on their various beverages in silence. Jeremy chewed on his lower lip as he mulled things over, a habit so obviously copied from Gavin it made the older men smile.

“Do you really think…” Jeremy trailed off, looking up at them bashfully and uncertain. Jack squeezed his hand, and Matt threw an arm over his shoulders in reassurance, but it was Geoff’s fond smile that settled him down.

“As sure as the sun rising in the east and all that shit,” Geoff quoted half-heartedly, reaching out to ruffle his hair. Jeremy leaned into the touch. “You’ll be fine, kid.”

 

* * *

 

“You okay, Jeremy?” Gavin asked, laying a careful hand on his shoulder. Jeremy shrugged, pulling the towel away from his arm. He’d gotten grazed during the fight tackling Gavin to the ground and behind cover. For a second he’d thought he’d been too late, blood blooming on the pink shirt-

He swallowed, prodding the wound. It had stopped bleeding by now, but when it had dripped onto Gavin’s breathless body- for a moment he’d thought his boyfriend had been shot, his body too still under him- not breathing- too much blood-

“Jeremy?” Gavin called his name softly, bringing him back to the present. He shook his head, willing the haunting image away.

“I’m fine,” he said, looking up into the blond’s concerned face, before amending, “I will be.”

“Jeremy, I-” Gavin started, swallowing hard. Jeremy reached out and took his hand between his, squeezing reassuringly.

“I love you,” he blurted out, and Gavin’s eyes widened. “I love you so much it hurts. I keep waiting for the perfect moment, but none of them are good enough. I- You deserve the best, Gavin.”

“J, don’t…”

Jeremy laid a finger on the blond’s lips, shushing him. He slipped onto the floor, kneeling before his boyfriend and lifted his hand up to his lips. Gavin stared down at him, brow creasing in confusion.

“I love you more than anything, and I’m fucking scared.” Jeremy laughed, a short, hard bark. “I’m a fucking coward, and you deserve so much better. But you stick with me anyway, for some reason.”

Jeremy’s thumb trailed over the back of Gavin’s hand, and his face softened.

“And there’s never going to be a perfect moment, and I’m sick of waiting.” Jeremy grinned, squeezing Gavin’s hand. “We’re kind of a mess.”

“We really are,” Gavin squeaked, his hand starting to tremble. “Jeremy, what-”

“I thought I’d lost you, today.” Jeremy swallowed and looked down, clutching Gavin’s hand. “And I just realized how much time I’ve been wasting. We risk our lives all the time, and I didn’t- Because I was scared. Because I just couldn’t-”

He made a sound of frustration, and Gavin dropped to his knees before Jeremy, his free hand reaching for his face.

“I’m sorry, please, don’t leave me,” the blond babbled, at the same time as Jeremy continued.

“-couldn’t propose, even though it’s fucking easy- wait. What?”

Jeremy looked at Gavin, and the blond gaped at him. They sat there, stock-still, Gavin not daring to breath, and Jeremy busy replaying the words in his head.

“ _What?_ ” he finally sputtered, dragging Gavin’s hand up against his chest. The blond was shaking his head, cheeks flushing a deep red.

“No, uh, nevermind, ignore me, just,” he rambled, waving his free hand. “Just, continue?”

“I was about to ask you to marry me, Gavin, what the fuck were you on about?” Jeremy stared at his boyfriend, confused. Gavin averted his eyes, his blush darkening.

“I thought-” He shook his head sharply. “It doesn’t really matter. It was silly, just a stupid thing, really, you know me, always blowing things out of proportion-”

“Gavin,” Jeremy interrupted him firmly, lifting his chin up with a finger carefully. “Love. Talk to me. What- what’s going on in that beautiful brain of yours?”

“I thought you were breaking up with me,” Gavin blurted out, squeezing his eyes shut. Jeremy gaped at him, eyes wide and hurt. Gavin turned his head away, ashamed. “You kept trying to have serious talks and were saying these things, and you were obviously frustrated about something and I thought- I dunno, I just-”

“Gavin, I’m sorry.” Jeremy stared at him, hands reaching up to cradle his face. He leans into the kiss, chaste and full of love. “I didn’t realize.”

“It’s okay,” Gavin murmured against his lips, eyes closed. He bumped their noses together gently, blinking tears away. “I came to the wrong conclusion. You know how dramatic I can be.”

Jeremy huffed a laugh, pulling the blond closer. They hugged for a long moment, just breathing each other in. Jeremy’s hands wandered soothingly across Gavin’s back, the blond’s fingers clenched into the other’s shirt. Gavin buried his nose in Jeremy’s neck, breath tickling his skin.

“I want you with me always,” Jeremy whispered finally. “I want you by my side, every day and night. I want forever, I want our happy ever after.”

He pulled back and grabbed Gavin’s face again urgently.

“Marry me,” he said softly, thumbs stroking over Gavin’s cheek. “Marry me, Gavino David Free. Stay with me, forever, as my husband.”

“Yes,” the blond hissed, dragging Jeremy in by the lapels. Their lips were barely touching. “Fuck, yes, let’s do it. If you want me.”

“I want you,” Jeremy sighed, slotting their mouths together for a moment before breaking apart. “Always.”

Gavin smiled and plunged right back in, lips wet and hot and desperate as they clung to each other.

“Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> R&R, leave kudos and comments, short or long, or contact me via my [tumblr](http://miss-ingno.tumblr.com) <3
> 
> The cat gets named Pubert Edgar Free as per stream agreement. Jeremy insists on calling it Fungus instead.


	2. Wrong Conclusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus scene for when Michael interrupts Jeremy's proposal. What Gavin was thinking and why.

“So why’d you need a rescue anyway?” Michael asked curiously as they were ambling down the street. Gavin had his hands stuffed into his pocket, kicking a can across the pavement.

When he’d gotten Gavin’s text asking for an extraction, he’d thought it was something serious - that he was having a fight with Jeremy, or one of the others was being too much, like they sometimes were. Instead he’d walked into a lovely scene, Jeremy on his knees in front of his boi, with a bunch of red roses to boot. There was a romantic hidden in the other, buried under his tough facade.

“No seriously, it looked like you guys were having a real sweet moment, back there,” Michael continued when Gavin stayed stubbornly silent.

“It’s not sweet,” Gavin objected, voice cracking as he finally looked up. His eyes were glistening wetly. “Michael, he’s- I don’t know what to do, boi.”

Michael turned serious, grabbing the blond by the shoulders and turning him to face him.

“What happened?” he asked, voice pitched low. There was a panicked air in the way Gavin’s hands flittered about, a quiet anguish in the tight lines around his eyes.

“He’s breaking up with me, Michael,” Gavin stuttered, barely suppressing a sob. Michael stared at his boi, stunned.

“He _what_?” he asked, a sudden rage rising. “That fucking _asshole,_ I’m gonna-”

“Michael, don’t!” Gavin snatched his arm and quickly dragged Michael back when he made to return to the penthouse. “It’s not- he hasn’t said anything but-”

“Fuck,” Michael cursed, dragging his fingers through his hair. “Okay, okay, how do you know, then?”

“He’s been sneaking out,” Gavin explained miserably, staring down at the pavement. His fingers dug into Michael’s arm, but Michael couldn’t care less. “He’s hiding things from me. He thinks I don’t know but- he keeps checking something in his pocket.”

Gavin swept the back of his hand over his eyes, wiping away the wetness. “I think he has a burner phone, one I can’t hack. I- I think-”

“You think he’s cheating on you?” Michael asked hotly, grinding his teeth.

“I- I don’t know,” Gavin confessed, shoulders slumping. “Something’s going on and what else could it be?”

“Gavin,” Michael broke off, biting his lip. He chewed thoughtfully, looking off into the distance. “You think he brought you red roses because he was feeling guilty?”

“What?” Gavin startled, catching Michael’s gaze. “What? No, those weren’t for me-”

“Wait,” Michael interrupted him, incredulously. “You think he came to you all dressed up nicely and with a bouquet of flowers _to break up with you on his way to his new lover_?”

When Gavin nodded sadly, Michael huffed a harsh laugh. “God fucking dammit, Gav. Do you really think little J would be that callous?”

“I-” Gavin stopped, shaking his head. “No, I guess not. I just… panicked?”

“Fucking idiot.” Michael grinned, linking their arms together to continue sauntering down the streets. “Go talk to him later, you moron. This is probably just a misunderstanding.”

“Yeah,” Gavin agreed, but Michael watched him shrewdly from the corner of his eyes. He knew his boi - he’d rather avoid awkwardness if he could. Huffing, he decided to let it play out.

For now.


End file.
